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What tools for measuring specific gravity are available to the homebrewer? EG: refractometer, hydrometer.

What scale do they measure? EG: Brix, plato

edited Mar 9 at 20:07

asked Feb 22 at 21:53

Dean Brundage
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	I haven't seen SG bottles sold by any homebrew store or online homebrew store, so doubt they're in wide usage. Maybe this question would be better rephrased as "What advantages of refractometers over hydrometers would justify the cost?" (Delete this comment at will.) – Rich Armstrong Mar 8 at 16:18
	You have a refractometer, I think I read somewhere. Tell us why you like it! :) – Rich Armstrong Mar 8 at 16:18
	I like it because it takes a small sample size. I don't like that it reads in % Brix because everything is formulated for SG or ºP. I'm not looking for a replacement for my hydrometer. – Dean Brundage Mar 9 at 1:20
	All I want to know is exactly what I asked in the question. Don't need a comparison or to know how they work. Simply interested if there is something out there beyond the two standard SG tools. – Dean Brundage Mar 13 at 13:29

Dean Brundage · Answer 1 · 2010-03-13 13:29:48Z UTC

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Since there hasn't been much activity on the question, this is what I'm looking for. Any more comprehensive answers?

Hydrometer measures Specific Gravity
Refractometers are usually scaled in % Brix
Bottles measure Specific Gravity

edited Mar 13 at 13:29

answered Feb 26 at 15:12

Dean Brundage
5,111●3●14

Pulsehead · Answer 2 · 2010-02-23 23:02:43Z UTC

Typically a Hydrometer measures (or at least mine measures) Specific gravity, potential alcohol, and/or Balling. Refractometers measure Brix.

Most beer recipes use SG as their measurement. For example, according to NorthernBrewer, their California Common kit has an OG of 1.047. Hypothetically if you were to measure an amount of pure water (just H-O-H) at the calibration temperature (typically somewhere around 60F-70F), you would get 1.000. Warmer liquids are not as dense, therefore the same volume of pure water at 150F would be much lower. Similarly, that same sample of pure water at 35F would be much more dense.

Refractometers? I'm sorry I never owned one, so I can't speak about them other than they are significantly expensive and that since your sample is 3-4 drops of liquid, and not 3-4 liquid ounces... temperature is not much of an issue, and the degrees of Brix measures the amount of sugar, and there IS a conversion from Brix to SG, but I don't know it.

Gravity Measurement Tools

2 Answers